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Manchester, Royal Bank of Scotland, Mosley Street

We start on Mosley Street with the Royal Bank of Scotland,, between York Street and Spring Gardens. The first block is by Edward Walters, his last great work, for the Manchester and Salford Bank in 1862. Walters' assurance shines through. Two-storied rusticated giant pilasters below, so that the pedimented piano nobileGlossary Term windows are on the second floor. Here giant angled pilasters point to the pinched-in corners of the very emphatic corniceGlossary Term which is topped by a balustrade punctuated by big stone urns and corner chimneys. The top part draws the whole composition together, balancing the strength of the ground floor rusticationGlossary Term. To the left of the lower entrance block a matching extension of the 1880s by Walters' successors, Barker & Ellis. The latest extension, 1975, Harry S. Fairhurst & Son, has simply treated openings palely following the 19th century rhythms.